Beetroot with Mango, Chilli and Ginger Dressing: Mangos are not widely grown here in Greece, so I can’t claim this to be very sustainable. Still, it is an absolute delight of a salad, and I could resist buying just a couple of mangos as a treat. Actually, I have just googled that, and of course, due to climate change, mangos are now cultivated in parts of Europe and can grow in parts of Greece.
The beetroots are raw – you will need a machine to create juliennes, which is easier if you have a food processor. Peel and cut the beetroots into quarters before putting them in the processor or grating them with a mandolin.
Prepare in Advance
An is an excellent salad to make in advance (in fact, it is almost better). Prepare the beetroots and toss salt mint with a generous squeeze of lime. Whizz together the mango sauce ingredients, cover both separately, and store in the fridge until you are ready to use.
After a trip to Crete, I was inspired when everything seemed to have a Passion Fruit dressing. I found it much too sweet, but fruit dressings, as a concept, are delicious. The mango and ginger pairing is perfect with beetroot.
Unusually, I have posted this after only making it once. It was so good. However, as I am writing, I am thinking of improvements. Add a few walnuts and the young, tender leaves of the beetroot. A little rocket would also be good.
For more light food inspiration, check out our Salads section.
Beetroot Salad with Chilli, Ginger and Mango Dressing
Ingredients
- 3 medium sized beetroots, peeled and cut into julinenes. Ideally use the julienne blade on a food processor or on a grater. Beetroots are hard to cut by hand.
- 3 spring onions, finely cut lenghways
- 1 tbsp finely chopped mint
- 1 mango, peeled and cut into chunks
- 5 cm ginger
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 small red cayenne chilli pepper Use chilli flakes as an alternative
- 1½ limes juiced – zest of one. Reserve ½ tbsp to coat the beetroot juliennes*
- equal quantity of olive oil to lime juice
- pinch of salt and generous grinding of black pepper
- 1 sprig of mint for decoration
Instructions
- Mix the beetroot juliennes, spring onions, ½ tbsp lime juice* and a tablespoon of mint in a shallow salad bowl, sprinkle with a little salt and toss well. Taste to check for the right balance of mint and salt and adjust accordingly.
- Put all the remaining ingredients (except the mint sprig) into a mini food processor or blender. Whizz until smooth. Taste and add more oil and perhaps a pinch of salt if necessary.
- Swirl the dressing over the beetroot, cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
Reader Interactions